Competency-based Learning: Accelerating Degree Completion and Improving Affordability in Higher Education

Emerging model focuses on real learning, not seat time, as a metric of student success.

WHAT IS COMPETENCY-BASED LEARNING?

BENEFITS TO INSTITUTIONS AND FACULTYCompetency-based Learning programs give colleges and universities the opportunity to target a new set of non-

traditional students, such as adult learners that need flexibility in their course offerings and may not have the

freedom or time to attend on-campus higher education courses. From a faculty perspective, professors can work

with their students as a coach or mentor; professors can create personalized learning paths based on student

assessments. This results in highly engaged educational scenarios where student coursework is personalized to

meet their specific needs.

Competency-based Learning is an emerging model that

is building a foundation for achievement by allowing

institutions to serve more students in less time, at lower

cost, with a focus on real learning that leads to greater

employability. With an emphasis on students progressing

as they demonstrate mastery of competencies,

regardless of the amount of seat time, students are able

to accelerate their learning experience. Students are

rewarded for prior knowledge that they demonstrate

during pre-tests, and once a student displays

competence, based on their assessment by professors,

they are free to move on to other areas of the course or, in some cases, test out of the course entirely. Students are able to spend more time focusing on areas of the course that require more of their attention and spend less time on topics they have mastered.

With a greater focus on applicable learning outcomes, students can accelerate their learning path if they are already competent in a certain subject. This allows for a faster track to graduation, reduced cost to complete a degree, and provides more practical and relevant skills

for the workforce.

PARTNERING WITH PEARSON: A CONSULTATIVE & COLLABORATIVE APPROACHPearson partners with institutions to develop competency-based online degree programs that target not just the

student’s ability to know something well, but the ability to apply that knowledge in proper context. Our Custom

Curriculum team of talented, highly credentialed instructional design and curriculum development experts work

with institutions to develop quality, instructionally sound curriculum, content and educational solutions that improve

learning outcomes.

Pearson partners with institutions to design a modular curriculum that has a clearly defined hierarchy of learning

outcomes and their associations with all related content. The outcomes are central to the student experience,

whether engaging in presentation, practice, collaboration or assessment activities. Student success is measured

with ongoing evaluation to ensure course- and program-level efficacy and provides opportunities for data-driven

decisions around curriculum revision and enhancement.

*Source: Education Week article: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rick_hess_straight_up/2011/10/the_changing_face_of_higher_education.html

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 38 percent of those enrolled in higher

education are over the age of 25 and one-fourth are over the age of 30. The share of all students

who are over age 25 is projected to increase another 23 percent by 2019. There have been several

developments created to address this paradigm shift, including accelerated degree programs.*

SPOTLIGHT ON: NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY (NAU)

Northern Arizona University partnered with Pearson to

develop more than 90 completely online competency-based

courses for three fully online Baccalaureate degrees, including

Computer Information Technology, Business Administration

(with a specialization in small business), and Liberal Studies. The

courses are offered through the Pearson LearningStudio cloud-

based Learning Management System. Courses utilize learning

outcomes to allow students to demonstrate competencies;

a wide range of high-quality content that includes readiness

testing and remediation support; and advanced data analytics

applications to monitor and analyze trends in student

performance, and track their achievement of learning objectives.

Competency-based Learning at NAU allows students to jump-start certain bachelor’s degree programs by

pretesting to determine what they already know, allowing them to receive credits for prior learning and experience.

The program then provides a variety of individualized academic resources to ensure steady progress, including

extensive mentoring.

Students work online at their own pace, receiving assistance based on frequent assessments of their needs and

learning styles. Faculty members actively participate by advising and mentoring, using information gained from

student tests and other inputs to offer customized strategies for success.

The university launched its competency-based degree programs in May 2013, and expects to enroll several

thousand students over the next few years. In the future, NAU will also measure success by conducting efficacy

research around its Competency-based Learning degree programs to analyze student learning outcomes.

In order to quickly launch its competency-based online learning degree programs and successfully secure

accreditation, as part of the new Personalized Learning Division, NAU needed to do the following:

1. Design and develop efficacy-based curricula for competency-based degree programs, and get them up and running quickly;

2. Establish an advanced learning management system that could support large-scale online learning programs and provide functionality needed to launch a competency-based program; and

3. Track and analyze student, course, and program data to ensure that learning objectives are achieved.

*Source: Education Week article: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/rick_hess_straight_up/2011/10/the_changing_face_of_higher_education.html

“With Personalized Learning, we are opening a new era in academic instruction at Northern Arizona University. This program is a huge step toward transforming our institution through technology. Partnering with Pearson, a proven leader in content development and delivery, has helped us to realize our vision for this next-generation learning program.”

— Dr. John Haeger President,

Northern Arizona University

© Pear son 2013. A l l R i gh t s Rese r ved .

SPOTLIGHT ON: TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-COMMERCE AND SOUTH TEXAS COLLEGE

Faculty from both institutions are leading the curriculum design effort with Pearson assisting in the development

of 90 credit hours of online competency-based courses, providing custom curriculum and instructional design that

aligns with the competencies established by the faculty. The program will launch in Spring 2014 and is expected to

serve 250 students in its first year and enroll over 6,000 students by 2019.

The BAS in Organizational Leadership curriculum centers on the 21st century skills outlined by the Association of

American Colleges and Universities’ Liberal Education and America’s Promise (LEAP) initiative. These skills include:

Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World, Intellectual and Practical Skills, Personal and

Social Responsibility, and Integrative and Applied Learning.

In September 2013, The Texas Higher Education Coordinating

Board and College for All Texans Foundation announced a

partnership with Pearson to work with two state institutions,

Texas A&M University-Commerce and South Texas College,

to create a Competency-based Learning Bachelor of Applied

Sciences (BAS) degree in Organizational Leadership. The program

is called the Texas Affordable Baccalaureate Project (TAB) and

is supported by an EDUCAUSE Next Generation Learning

Challenges (NGLC) grant, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation. EDUCAUSE partners in NGLC are the League for

Innovation in the Community College, the Council of Chief State

School Officers, and iNACOL. The program aligns with Governor

Rick Perry’s vision to create more affordable, competency-based

baccalaureate programs for students in Texas.

To learn more about how your institution can partner with Pearson to develop Competency-based Learning programs that improve achievement and affordability, visit

w w w.pearsoncustomcurr icu lum.com

“We are pleased that these institutions have not only embraced innovation but are collaborating in ways that will greatly benefit students by giving them a new path to completion. Pearson’s commitment to assist faculty from both institutions throughout this process is critical for the program’s ultimate success.”

— Dr. Raymund ParedesTexas Commissioner of Higher Education